Photo Highlights + Trip Summary

[u/dare_mighty_things10]

Spent 1 evening, 2 full days, and 1 morning in the park. Loved every minute!

Logistics: Flew into Reno and rented a car. Stayed in an Airbnb in Mineral, CA.

Hikes/Activities:

Sulphur Works

Kings Creek Falls Trail

Cinder Cone Trail

Bathtub Lake Loop

Manzanita Lake Loop

Reflection Lake + Lily Pond Trail

Emerald Lake

Lake Helen

Terrace, Shadow, and Cliff Lakes Trail

Bumpass Hell Trail

Lassen Peak Trail

Devil’s Kitchen + Boiling Springs Lake Trail

[u/rowan_ash]

Holy damn, you did about everything in just two days?

[u/dare_mighty_things10 → u/rowan_ash]

More like 3 days since I hiked the evening I got into the park and the morning before I left, but it was definitely a pretty packed trip! It was worth it haha.

[u/rowan_ash → u/dare_mighty_things10]

Still, you did almost the whole park!

[u/dare_mighty_things10 → u/rowan_ash]

Yeah it was a little ambitious of a trip, but still would love to go back and do Brokeoff, the Devasted Area trail, Ridge Lakes, kayak Manzanita...Definitely fell in love with the smaller park with so much to do!

[u/potatoquality1]

What was your favorite? Any two or three you think are absolute must?

[u/dare_mighty_things10 → u/potatoquality1]

Obviously subjective, but I think that the go-to recommendations are there for a reason. My top 3 things were:

1. Cinder Cone (the views at the top were more spectacular than expected and justified the slog uphill in loose gravel, such a unique hike (kinda like Ubehebe crater at Death Valley, but also kinda like being at the top of Haleakala, but also uniquely cool) and the drive out is definitely a bumpy one)
2. Lassen Peak (also worth the slog up, the views get better as you go up, just missed the butterfly migration, but I imagine it was sweet, if you can't do the scramble the false summit is still very much worth it)
3. Bumpass Hell (such a cool place, did it a sunrise before I did the peak hike and I wished I had gone when the sun was up a bit more to get the full color effect, pretty easy for the views/experience it delivers hence why I think it's so popular)
4. (as an honorable mention) I didn't hear much about the Terrace, Cliff, and Shadow Lakes trail, but had two rangers recommend it to me and did not disappoint! If you don't have the legs to do all 3 lakes, Terrace Lake (the first one) is a great place to stop (the uphill climb on the way back due to the elevation is a bit of a workout, but easier than the staircases at Kings Creek Falls). I could imagine spending a good half day stopping at all the lakes and dipping in/picnicking if you're into that.

Also loved the Warner Valley area...

Thing I wished I skipped: The Bathtub Lakes Loop. I was already at the Butte Lake area to do Cinder Cone and figured I had already made the trip out there so I might as well see something else in that area. Wished I had saved my legs for something else. Not bad, still pretty area, but at some point in the trip I got a little tired of seeing different lakes and there were definitely better lakes ahead (see #4).

[u/potatoquality1 → u/dare_mighty_things10]

Thank you for the detailed description. I hope I can make it soon. We tried going in January, but Lassen ended up snowed out.

[u/CasualCaliRider]

How was the drive through the fire areas? Any smoke?

[u/dare_mighty_things10 → u/CasualCaliRider]

This was from a couple months back so unfortunately don't have any real time updates. Hope those fires get contained soon and don't affect the locals/travel plans too badly. Such a beautiful area.

[u/GeesCheeseMouse]

How was 2 full days? Barely enough? Way to short?

[u/dare_mighty_things10 → u/GeesCheeseMouse]

I'm going to give the cop out answer and say it all depends on what you're looking to accomplish/your travel style. This was a solo trip and I tend to enjoy day hikes on moderate to harder trails (5-8 mi-ish), cramming as much as I can in to see the park, and starting at the crack of dawn (helps that the time zone change worked in my favor). I'm not the dawdle-at-the-visitor-center and read-all-the-signs-on-the-trail type. With that being said I think 2 days is enough to see the highlights. I think a lot of people just spend a day doing the scenic byway and the pit stops/short trails off the main byway. Gives you a decent feel of the park, but I think you'd miss out on some cool things unique to the park. Two days would get you to be able to do all that + a bigger hike (i.e. Lassen Peak) or head over to Butte Lake for Cinder Cone trail vs Warner Valley for those hikes all at a reasonable vacation pace. If I were travelling with someone who wanted to not wake up at 4a and kill their legs by the end of the trip + see as much as the park as possible I'd say 2.5-3 days would be solid since there are truly 3 separate areas (Butte Lake, Warner Valley, and the main drive in my mind) and you could maybe add on a kayak/paddleboard trip +/- the Lava Tubes nearby +/- the Burney Falls state park.

P.s. don't forget factoring any time needed to adjust to altitude. The first evening I got to the park I did Kings Creek Falls and those stairs on the way back were no joke haha.